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Battlin' Blujus

Congratulations to the Boston College Eagles, who won their third NCAA title in five years on the weekend. The Eagles bested Ferris State 4-1 in Tampa to take the Frozen Four. One circuit is down, but there are still plenty of playoffs in the junior ranks to keep everyone foaming at the mouth. Plus, the world under-18s are on the doorstep. Here’s a look at some of the prospects we’re excited to see in the NHL one day.

Dylan Blujus, D – Brampton Battalion (OHL)

The Troops have a big test on their hands thanks to a second round matchup with the powerhouse Niagara IceDogs and they’ve kept it close in two losses. If Brampton hopes for the upset, Blujus will be a key element on the blueline.

“Defense is going to be a big key with their firepower,” he said. “We have to make sure to make the smart plays.”

As a disciple of junior coaching legend Stan Butler, that’s not hard for the Buffalo-area native, who saw the Ontario League as his best option to get to the NHL some day.

“It’s an honor to play under him,” Blujus said. “He’s not afraid to tell you what you need to work on.”

Playing with fellow draft-eligible defenseman Marcus McIvor, Blujus has been key to the Battalion’s success. In the playoffs, he’s posted a goal and five points in six games, well above his usual pace. Blujus and McIvor played spring hockey together when they were younger, so the tandem has great familiarity.

“We go hand in hand,” Blujus said. “I like to jump into the rush, he likes to stay back and work on the defensive end.”

At 6-foot-3, 193 pounds, Blujus knows he needs to get more physical, but has great puck-moving ability and a good shot from the point. Those tools will have a lot of NHL teams thinking of him this summer. Draft eligible in 2012.

Filip Forsberg, RW – Leksand (Swe.)

The NHL’s Central Scouting Bureau released its final rankings Monday and not surprisingly Forsberg is No. 1 among European-based skaters. Big and creative, Forsberg couldn’t get his Leksand team up to Sweden’s top circuit in a recent promotion tournament, which may increase his chances of coming over to North America next season. CHL Import Draft, anyone? Draft eligible in 2012.

Anthony Stolarz, G – Corpus Christi IceRays (NAHL)

Only one goalie in the North American League made more saves than Stolarz’s 1,602 in 50 games this season, so it’s fair to say the 6-foot-5 New Jersey native had his hands full. The IceRays didn’t make the playoffs, but Stolarz had a winning record and an admirable .920 save percentage, catapulting him to No. 4 on Central Scouting’s list of North American netminders. Draft eligible in 2012.

Zack Phillips, C – Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL)

Welcome to the weekly installment of “Sea Dogs crushing the Quebec League.” Today’s winner is Phillips, who now leads the post-season scoring race with six goals and 21 points in just six games – all wins. He’s also plus-18, but doesn’t have a winning faceoff percentage. C’mon, Zack, shape up! Drafted 28th overall by Minnesota in 2011.

Curtis Lazar, C – Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL)

In the battle of Kings – Oil vs. Wheat – Oil is winning (and geopolitically speaking, are we really surprised?). Lazar in particular is having fun, tallying three goals and eight points through six playoff games, upping his production from the regular season, which was about a point every two games. With speed to burn and a thick frame that makes him hard to knock off the puck, Lazar will be a game-breaker very soon. Draft eligible in 2013.

Darnell Nurse, D – Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL)

Paired with top 2012 prospect Matt Dumba on Team Canada’s under-18 team, Nurse has a chance to really put a stamp on his rookie year. Already 6-foot-4 and 180 pounds, the young D-man skates effortlessly and has a nasty streak – he was blowing up kids in practice before the team left for the Czech Republic, where Nurse has a goal in each of the team’s two exhibition games. Draft eligible in 2013.

Sebastian Collberg, RW – Vastra Frolunda (Swe.)

With two goals (one on a penalty shot) in a 3-2 win against the U.S. in U-18 exhibition play, the smallish but exciting Collberg is picking up right where he left off in the international game. The right winger already has gold medals from the world juniors and Five Nations this year, now the under-18s are in his sights. Draft eligible in 2012.

Frankie Vatrano, C – U.S. NTDP (USHL)

With Stefan Matteau declared ineligible for the world under-18s (not American enough, apparently), the Stars and Stripes will need other forwards to step up and Vatrano has the frame to do it. The stocky power forward comes in at 5-foot-10, 218 pounds and brings a big shot, defensive hops and forechecking with him. Next stop, Boston College. Draft eligible in 2012.

Teuvo Teravainen, RW – Jokerit (Fin.)

His club team staved off elimination for at least a night, but they still trail JYP 3-1 in the Finnish semifinal. The national squad may be rooting for the other guys. That’s because the shifty and talented Teravainen would be a great addition to the U-18 squad. He has two goals and five points in eight SM-Liiga playoff games. Draft eligible in 2012.

Matt DeBlouw, C – Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL)

The Jacks were lowly again, but that didn’t stop scouts from getting a good read on DeBlouw, a smart two-way player with a nice overall game. Committed to Michigan State, DeBlouw is progressing, but he projects to get even better in the next few seasons. Draft eligible in 2012.

The Hot List, a roundup of minor league, junior, college and high school players we’re excited to one day see in the NHL, appears every Tuesday only on thehockeynews.com. A player is eligible for The Hot List until they play in their first NHL game.

For more great prospect profiles and news and views from the world of hockey, Subscribe to The Hockey News magazine.

Five reasons the Lightning should trade Ben Bishop now

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Five reasons the Lightning should trade Ben Bishop now

It might have made sense to keep pending free agent Ben Bishop all year – if the Lightning were healthy and not in a dogfight for a playoff berth.

The Tampa Bay Lightning endured 2015-16 holding onto the year's most coveted unrestricted free agent to be. General manager Steve Yzerman weathered a storm of rumors and clutched Steven Stamkos tightly. The Bolts had a real shot to win the Stanley Cup after reaching the final the previous year, so treating Steven Stamkos like a UFA trade deadline rental made sense. Tampa Bay ended up re-signing its captain, of course, but even if that hadn't happened this past summer, retaining Stammer was the right move.

A year later, the Lightning once again hold an elite UFA to be. This time it's goaltender Ben Bishop and, once again, they're faced with the decision of whether to trade or retain their star. Only this time, dealing that star may be the smarter move.

It goes without saying that to keep Bishop all year is to risk losing him for nothing. Unlike with Stamkos last year, it's more of a guarantee than a risk with Bishop. The Lightning signed "backup" goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy to a three-year, $10.5-million extension in July. Bishop should command something like Tuukka Rask or Pekka Rinne money, a seven-year deal at $7 million per. That's out of the cash-strapped Bolts' price range with restricted free agents such as Tyler Johnson, Ondrej Palat and Jonathan Drouin needing new contracts next summer. On top of that, Tampa can only protect one goaltender in the expansion draft. Bishop is as good as gone.

The fact there's pretty much no chance of bringing Bishop back is one obvious reason to consider dealing him now, but we knew that as recently as the summer. Yzerman even admitted at the draft he would have to deal a goalie. It might've still been worth retaining Bishop all season for the sake of a Stanley Cup push, but things are so much more complicated than expected for this Bolts team through early December. Additional reasons to push for a Bishop trade have piled up.

1. Injuries, obviously

The Lightning have lost center Stamkos for four to six months after he tore his meniscus in mid-November. Right winger Ryan Callahan is on injured reserve with a lower-body injury. Right winger Jonathan Drouin and defenseman Jason Garrison have been nicked up of late, too. This team isn't quite a walking infirmary, but the Stamkos injury is monumental, and the Bolts need all the healthy bodies they can get. That's because…

2. The Lightning are mired in an (unexpected) playoff dogfight

We at THN picked the Lightning to win the Stanley Cup. Through Monday's games they sit ninth in the Eastern Conference, one point behind the Philadelphia Flyers for the last wild-card spot. Every team behind Tampa has games in hand. The Bolts have played as many games as any team in the East. We can blame the Stamkos injury, but that doesn't make it any less true that this team is suddenly no lock to reach the Big Dance, and scoring goals, Stamkos' specialty, isn't this team's weakness. The Lightning rank 16th in the NHL in goals against per game at 2.63. That's down from 2.41 (fifth) last season. They sit 13th in 5-on-5 Corsi Against per 60 at 54.44, down from 51.92 (sixth) last year. Tampa has regressed defensively, allowing more shot attempts. This team has needs to address on defense. And guess where the Bolts' surplus of talent lies?

3. Andrei Vasilevskiy is ready for No. 1 duty

Tampa has two high-end, starting-caliber goaltenders. And we know Vasilevskiy, 22, is the future. He's been one of the game's top netminding prospects since even before Yzerman and Co. drafted him in 2012. Vasilevskiy has a sparking 6-2-1 record with a 2.24 goals-against average, a .930 save percentage and two shutouts, and that stat line is no fluke. He's merely doing what he was always projected to do. So why not hand him the reins and use Bishop on the trade market to plug another hole?

4. The Lightning can still win this thing

I never would've supported the idea of dealing Bishop mid-season even a month ago, but so much has changed. This team needs help. It's also very much worth saving. The Lightning remain as talent-rich as any team in hockey, so they should continue to treat themselves as contenders, especially if Stamkos can return in time for the post-season. We've learned in this peak-parity era any team can win the Cup as long as that team gets in. That's where Yzerman has a bit of work to do. Having an elite goaltending tandem is great, but it's a luxury for a team in need of a top-four defenseman and perhaps another power forward who can play in the top six. This season isn't worth giving up on. The Bolts should chase a championship. At first, keeping Bishop looked like the best way to do so. Now the opposite is true.

5. Ben Bishop still has peak value

Bishop hasn't been his Vezina Trophy finalist self early in 2016-17, with a pedestrian .910 SP in 18 appearances, but that small sample size won't torpedo his trade value. Any suitors out there know who he is: an upper-echelon starting goalie. Bishop, however, seems to break down physically at some point almost every season. The big fella has become a yearly injury risk at 30. There's always a chance he gets hurt before Yzerman strikes a deal, so the time to act is now. Is there a market yet? It's tough to say. We won't see true contending teams looking for a big-splash rental just yet, but we may have a few also-rans needing immediate help to climb back into the race. The team repeatedly linked to Bishop is the Dallas Stars, and they still make sense, maybe now more than ever. The Stars have struggled so far and continue to get lackluster goaltending from Kari Lehtonen and Antti Niemi. Bishop would rectify their problem in a hurry. It's risky to take on a pending UFA, of course, but what if Dallas sent one back in the form of, say, Johnny Oduya? Tampa get its veteran D-man, Dallas gets its star goalie. Tampa would need to take back one of Niemi or Lehtonen and may have to include a second body for the money to work, but such a deal could still make sense, especially for two teams in different conferences.

Keeping Bishop all year would've been a best-case scenario for Yzerman, but he no longer has that luxury. The Bolts' bad luck has created a need for reinforcements right now. Dealing Bishop is the best way to save this team.

Blackhawks emergency backup Eric Semborski gets his own rookie card

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Blackhawks emergency backup Eric Semborski gets his own rookie card

Eric Semborski landed himself the opportunity of a lifetime when he strapped on the pads as an emergency backup for the Blackhawks, and now Topps has commemorated the moment with a Semborski trading card.

Eric Semborski’s dream came true when he stepped on the ice as an NHL goaltender, albeit an emergency backup, on Dec. 3, and now he’s got an incredible piece of memorabilia to show for it.

Just days after the 23-year-old made his rookie debut, trading card company Topps has unveiled the official Eric Semborski rookie card. That’s right: the 23-year-old has his very own trading card. The card is part of Topps’ NOW series, which features milestone or memorable moments and are made available shortly after the achievement.

Semborski’s stint as the Blackhawks emergency goaltender came due to regular starting netminder Corey Crawford was sent to hospital to undergo an appendectomy. The Blackhawks were scrambling to find a replacement for Crawford, and a backup for Scott Darling, when they started asking around to find an emergency amateur netminder to fill in.

Semborski, a former goaltender at Temple University, was working with children at the Flyers’ practice facility when he was called to sign on for emergency duty. Hilariously, Semborski wore a Blackhawks No. 50 jersey — which most will recognize as Crawford’s number — when he took the ice for warmup. Of the chance to stop NHL shots in warmup, Semborski said it was the best moment of his life.

Possibly the only thing that could have made the moment better was if Semborski actually got into the game and, as it turns out, that was very nearly the case. Post-game, Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said that had the Flyers scored on the empty net to stretch their lead in the Saturday afternoon contest, he would have thrown Semborski into the net for the final minute of the outing.

As for the card, there’s no chance it will be worth anything near what a Connor McDavid rookie card will be worth in a decade, but it’s certainly a nice piece of merchandise for the one-day NHL netminder.

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ECHL defenseman Anthony Calabrese is “lucky to be alive” after a “careless, reckless” hit, and Tyler Murovich, who delivered the blow, has been given a 12-game suspension as a first-time offender.

There are few plays scarier than seeing a player hit from behind and sent headfirst into the boards. That kind of play is made that much harder to watch when knowing the severity of the injury suffered.

During an ECHL contest on Nov. 24 between the Norfolk Admirals and Atlanta Gladiators, ECHL veteran Tyler Murovich delivered an incredibly dangerous shove to the back of Anthony Calabrese, a 24-year-old defenseman who’s only 12 games into his ECHL career.

The result of the hit was frightening. Calabrese was left laying face down on the ice, near motionless. The Admirals rearguard would eventually be placed on a stretcher, taken from the ice and transported to hospital.

That may seem harsh to some given that Murovich is a first-time offender, but given the severity of Calabrese’s injury, it actually seems like a somewhat light punishment.

As a result of the hit, Calabrese suffered broken C7 and T1 vertebrae. In simpler terms, he broke both his neck and his back. Oh, and he also punctured his lung. In fact, Calabrese told The Virginian-Pilot’s Jim Hodges that doctors told the young center that he’s “lucky to be alive.”

“It was a miracle, and they say I’m going to make a full recovery,” Calabrese told Hodges. “It’s going to be a long road, but I’d rather be alive than be in a wheelchair the rest of my life.”

What helped Calabrese escape with his life, he told Hodges, was advice he had gotten early in his career from a high school coach. Calabrese was taught that if he was ever going into the boards head first to lift his chin and turn to the side in an attempt to avoid taking the brunt of the impact with the top of his head.

“That’s honestly the only thing that registered in my mind when I was going in: at the last minute, pick my head up,” Calabrese told Hodges. “I remember picking my head up and turning it to the right.”

Thankfully, doctors told Calabrese that he can eventually return to the ice and that the injuries suffered from the hit won’t cost him his career. His spinal cord, he told Hodges, wasn’t damaged due to the hit. And, as hard as it may be to believe, doctors said it was the “best possible break” in a situation such as Calabrese’s.

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Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin has turned into quite the find, and on Wednesday he flashed some uncanny offensive awareness and skill with a creative skate pass to set up a power play goal.

It’s taken all of one full season for Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin to go from NCAA standout to top-pairing rearguard in the NHL, but much of that has to do with his ability in his own end.

Don’t take that to mean Slavin can’t make something out of seemingly nothing on offense, though.

During Wednesday’s meeting between the Hurricanes and Ducks, Slavin was manning the point on a power play late in the first frame. As the puck was worked back to Justin Faulk, Slavin retreated back to give his partner a passing option, and when the puck came across the line, it was headed to Slavin’s backhand side, meaning he would have had to slow it and settle it in order to make a play. Instead, he used his feet.

Slavin, in a brilliant display of skill, opened up his stance, let the puck glance off of his right skate and deflected the puck perfectly into Teuvo Teravainen’s wheelhouse. Watch him finish the clever play off with a rocket of a one-timer:

That’s a thing of beauty from start to finish.

As mentioned, Slavin isn’t exactly known for his ability to produce with the puck on his stick, but he is well on his way to surpassing his rookie season output. He notched two goals and 20 points in 63 games during the 2015-16 campaign, and is on pace for three goals and 25 points this year, already with one marker and eight points to his name.

What Slavin brings to the Hurricanes definitely goes beyond his offense, though. In Wednesday’s game, a tough 6-5 shootout loss to the Anaheim Ducks, Slavin skated more than 28 minutes. It was his season high, but just one of seven games in which he has seen more than 25 minutes of ice time. The only player averaging more ice than Slavin is Justin Faulk, and that’s by a mere two seconds per game.